


A Passion for Fiction

by A_Starcrossed_Writer



Category: The Locked Tomb Trilogy | Gideon the Ninth Series - Tamsyn Muir
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 00:28:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28662480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Starcrossed_Writer/pseuds/A_Starcrossed_Writer
Summary: A study in the literary preferences of the Master Warden of the Sixth House... And how those preferences inconvenience his cavalier primary.
Kudos: 6





	A Passion for Fiction

**Author's Note:**

  * For [billions and billions](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=billions+and+billions).



Palamedes Sextus had spent the majority of his life hearing stories about things from Pre-Myriadic days. Great places, so beautiful, they were known as The Wonders of a world long since dead and risen, the First House... Earth. Educators had tried to teach him that the new Empire had far surpassed the technologies and splendor of Old Earth—previous generations hadn’t even successfully inhabited other planets after all. The orbital Libraries of the Sixth House alone were more scientifically and architecturally advanced than anything on Old Earth. And Palamedes was quite fond of the orbital Libraries, his entire existence revolved (pun intended, why not) around their contents. He could summarize the contents of every Library. From age seven he had known his life’s calling was to stay on the Sixth and be the Master Warden, not for the title but for the sake of knowing that the Libraries were in the most capable, adoring hands in the Empire.  
Palamedes was most excited when he was free to explore the corridors of any one of the Libraries and discover material he hadn’t studied in depth. In his desire for exploration, Palamedes believed himself to be similar in nature to the adventurers in some of the replicated novels from Old Earth—some of his favorite literature. That was a little known fact—that is, known by only Camilla Hect (and now yourself) mostly because she was always the one charged with locating and collecting him from his ventures into the abysmal past, for events such as meetings and luncheons. Or in this case, because he hadn’t been seen planet-side in seven hours and dawn wasn’t far off.  
Few would be able to tolerate the intellectual ramblings of a Sixth House academic who was four volumes deep into a hopeful revelation. But, to the wonder of many Camilla had stuck by the Warden’s side through all of his ramblings and revelations since childhood. Her nature had always made her more inclined to fall into the role of guardian angel. Once she and Palamedes began attending school together, Camilla had elected herself to be his personal protector. All of her efforts to become the best cavalier within her House, a year before Palamedes took the Master Warden exam, were made to achieve that end. All of that to say she had years, decades even, to observe and predict the sort of behavior she ought to expect from the Master Warden to be. Including his tendencies to forget biological needs in favor of a well-written volume (honestly, one could have accused him of vampirism for his nocturnal tendencies alone) and his well-concealed preference for fiction.  
So there she was, wandering through the eighty-sixth corridor of the fifth Library, seeking her wayward Warden. Nothing in this Library was considered to be inconceivably precious, and therefore available for public consumption. So Camilla could not just understand why the Master Warden, of all individuals, would not just—check the books out and take them home.  
In the midst of her slightly exasperated ponderings, she heard some faint snoring. After passing two more aisles, she finally came across an unconscious Palamedes. Slumped against the bottom shelves, and surrounded by books—including the one stretched open between his hands. Due to the flickering behind his eyes, he was likely mid-sleep cycle and had been in such a state for a few hours. His breath caused the lock of hair in front of his face to flutter rhythmically and Camilla half-heartedly rolled her eyes, approaching the drowsy necromancer. After carefully replacing each of the books into their rightful places, except for the one clutched by Palamedes, the cavalier primary of the Sixth House swept him up along with all of his gangly limbs and his precious novel. Her necro’s only answer was a brief stuttered inhale.  
Camilla made her way to the lobby of the Library, pressing the call button to summon a return shuttle. The amused glances of the Library Guardians could not be ignored when Camilla approached one of them and muttered with an impeccably straight face, “I’d like to check a volume out under my name, please.”  
“Title?” The blonde requested without a glance up.  
Camilla’s eyes had to scan the cover before flickering to the ceiling as she gritted out, “The third novel in the Infernal Devices saga.”  
“For what purpose?”  
“Research.”  
Such an insufficient answer got the woman’s attention and her gaze flicked between the Master Warden and his cavalier as a pale brow raised. An expression that was a hair’s breadth from a smile crept over her face when she replied, “I see. And you’re sure you want it under your name?”  
Camilla only nodded and blinked.  
With a dip of her head, the Guardian logged the request into the records via her tablet and thanked the aloof cavalier as the notification system announced throughout the Library that the return shuttle had arrived.  
Camilla strode through the doors of the building and the ship. And only once she was settled into the empty shuttle did she dare address the gray bundle in her arms. “You couldn’t have offered the slightest bit of assistance, Warden?”  
A soft chuckle echoed throughout the space. “Certainly not. I think you handled that rather effectively, Cam. I am rather curious about how long you think I’ve been awake?”  
“Since I carried you out of aisle eighty-eight.”  
“Ah-ha, so you could have asked for assistance.”  
As the shuttle began the docking sequence, Camilla responded earnestly, “I’d be loath to embarrass you.”  
Another huff of laughter was the only answer as the doors slid open and Camilla strode into the streets of the Sixth with Palamedes and his absurd novel still in her grasp.  
X _ X  
Upon arrival at their living quarters, Camilla released the Master Warden to attend to his needs in the bathroom while she prepared the room for sleep. She was unfazed when Palamedes emerged, disrobed in order to put on bedclothes. The two had known each other for too long, and were too familiar to be affected by the sight of the other in a state of undress. Not to mention their distant blood relation.  
As he stepped to his wardrobe, Palamedes addressed his cavalier with a yawn, “Cam, I will need you to—”  
“Reschedule your morning conferences for the afternoon. Done hours ago.”  
She could hear his answering grin without turning from her task of ensuring all of her hidden weapons were in place, “Always aware of my needs. Thank you, Camilla.”  
Palamedes finished dressing and settled into bed before reaching toward his nightstand. Finding it empty he looked to his cavalier, who held his novel aloft in her left hand.  
“Good luck pulling that trick again, Master Warden. You won’t be getting this back until you’ve slept and had a full meal.”  
“Well played, cavalier.” The disgruntled necromancer tugged off his glasses with an indignant huff (that Camilla observed affectionately to be rather immature). Camilla waited for him to completely lay down before turning off the lights and closing her own eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> Anybody catch the Shadowhunters reference? XD


End file.
